Author: Michael S. Callahan
When policyholders buy homeowners and life insurance coverage, they agree to pay premiums on time in return for an agreement by the insurance company to promptly pay claims. People buy insurance to protect themselves from risk that could otherwise be financially devastating. But sometimes that insurance contract can seem like a one-way street when it […]
TXSL10_Callahan *This page should link to the above PDF.
The Texas traffic fatality rate has fallen to the lowest level ever in 75 years of recordkeeping. Road fatalities have dropped by roughly 12 percent in the span of a year, from 3,476 in 2008 to 3,071 in 2009. Houston’s eight-county region also saw a decrease in 2009 of almost seven percent. The findings are […]
The Barnett Shale and Eagle Ford Shale regions in Texas are heavily exploited for natural gas that exists deep within the rock. The process used to extract natural gas is dangerous for workers and may be hazardous to nearby residents and the environment. Read about private well contamination linked to Barnett Shale exploration and confirmation […]
Last year saw a record number of prescription and over-the-counter drug recalls, 1,472 different types in all. That number is four times the number of drugs recalled in 2008. While it is difficult to attribute the increase in defective and dangerous drugs to a single reason, the overseas manufacture of medications, the increase in prescription […]
Many people have heard about traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), but few realize how common these injuries are in the United States. Data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that an estimated 52,000 people die every year in the United States as a result of a TBI. Another 275,000 are hospitalized and […]
Oil and gas pipeline work is extremely dangerous – particularly in Texas. According to the National Wildlife Federation, since 2000 the state has been tied with New Mexico for the most pipeline accident fatalities in the country. In that time, there have been over 500 pipeline accidents around the state, resulting in 15 deaths and […]
The state of our nation’s aging natural gas infrastructure has become a major concern in light of the recent string of pipeline explosions. Places like Allentown, Pennsylvania and San Bruno, California have seen firsthand the catastrophic aftermath of natural gas pipeline disasters. And, with 1.8 million miles of gas delivery lines veining the earth beneath […]
Large commercial trucks present a unique danger to other drivers on the road. Because of their size, they are less maneuverable and require a longer distance to come to a stop than other vehicles. The size and weight of eighteen-wheelers, tractor trailers and other large trucks leaves little room for error: when a truck hits […]
When a passenger vehicle is involved in an accident with a large commercial truck, the results can be devastating. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2009, the last year for which statistics are available, 70 percent of the roughly 3,000 people who died in accidents with tractor trailers were the occupants […]